The European Commission's high level multi-stakeholder platform on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has called on the EU to develop an overarching Sustainable Europe 2030 strategy to guide all EU policies and programmes.

WWF welcomes the contribution of the high-level platform to the European Commission's reflection paper 'Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030' presented on 11 October. In this contribution, the platform has called for a strengthening of policy coherence for development, for example by aligning the European Semester process, EU public finances and financial regulations, and the EU's long-term decarbonisation plans with the SDGs. The platform members also proposed ideas in policy areas considered vital for achieving the SDGs such as social inclusion, sustainable consumption and production, climate and energy, food, farming and land-use, and cohesion.

The platform brings together a diverse group of experts from academia, NGOs (including WWF), business, civil society, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions, to advise the Commission on delivering the SDGs at EU level, and exchange best practices at local, regional, national and EU level.

“Combatting climate change and fostering sustainable development go hand in hand. The recent IPCC report has demonstrated the urgent need to keep global warming below 1.5C, and the SDGs can and must make a fundamental contribution to meeting this target. Climate change and nature loss pose severe risks to both our planet and humankind, and we cannot wait a moment longer for all governments to take action. The EU has a special responsibility to lead the way by fully and systemically implementing all SDGs domestically and to contribute to the global effort,“ said Andrea Kohl, Deputy Director, WWF European Policy Office, and member of the Platform.

The Commission's reflection paper which will be presented soon as part of the "Future of Europe" debate launched by President Juncker.